Saturday, November 30, 2024
SleuthSayers: Blink Fiction
KRL Update 11/30/2024
Due to the Thanksgiving holiday KRL has a mini issue up this weekend!
Up on KRL this week we have a review and ebook giveaway of "Live, Local, and Long Dead" by Nikki Knight https://kingsriverlife.com/11/30/live-local-and-long-dead-by-nikki-knight/
And a review and ebook giveaway of "Trap, Neuter, Die" by Sharon Marchisello along with an interesting interview with Sharon https://kingsriverlife.com/11/30/trap-neuter-die-by-sharon-marchisello/
And a review and ebook giveaway of "The Courtesan's Pirate" by Nina Wachsman https://kingsriverlife.com/11/30/the-courtesans-pirate-by-nina-wachsman/
And a review and ebook giveaway of "Deadlines and Valentines" by Heather Weidner https://kingsriverlife.com/11/30/deadlines-and-valentines-by-heather-weidner/
We also have the latest Mystery Coming Attractions from Victoria Fair https://kingsriverlife.com/11/30/mystery-coming-attractions-december-2024/
For those who enjoy a supernatural twist to their mysteries, up on KRL News and Reviews this week we have a review and giveaway of a signed copy of "Storm Waters" by Kat Richardson https://www.krlnews.com/2024/11/storm-waters-by-kat-richardson.html
And a review of "Peach Tea Smash" by Laura Childs https://www.krlnews.com/2024/11/peach-tea-smash-by-laura-childs.html
Scott's Take: Shadow of a Broken Man by George C. Chesbro
Shadow
of a Broken Man by George C. Chesbro is the first book
in the Mongo Mystery series. I read this as part of Hoopla Bonus
Borrows for the month. This book is set back in 1977. This is a very old book
series, but the first book holds up very well. This is another private
investigator noir book with some paranormal activity.
Mongo
is not your typical private investigator. He is a little person who has a
doctorate in Criminology, is a college professor, an ex-circus performer, and
has a black belt in karate. In this book, Mongo is hired to investigate the
death of a famous architect. He is supposed to be dead, but a recent building
has been built that shows his influence on the building design. As Mongo
investigates, it becomes clearer that Russia, The UN, and the American
government would prefer if he drops his investigation. Mongo is not stopping
until he uncovers the truth.
This
is an interesting read with strong mystery elements and some supernatural
elements. For most of the book it stays a typical espionage mystery until the
later third where some supernatural elements are introduced. I enjoyed this
read and Mongo is a unique character.
There
is a heavy torture scene in this book and Mongo suffers PTSD from the incident.
The handling of Mongo’s trauma is done rather well, in my opinion. There are
actual consequences to what happens to him for a good portion of the novel
unlike most things now where the main character never feels the effects of his
trauma. This might be triggering for some people.
According
to Goodreads there are thirteen more books to read. Hopefully all of them are
at least as good as this read.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3AHbq7o
My reading copy came by way of the Hoopla App through the Dallas Public Library System.
Scott
A. Tipple ©2024
Friday, November 29, 2024
A Writer's Life....Caroline Clemmons: PRE-ORDER NOW!
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Baking Spirits Bright by Sarah Fox
FFB Review: Shadows in Death: In Death Series by J.D. Robb
It is May 2061 as Shadows in Death: In Death Series by J.D.
Robb begins and another murder has happened. Roarke is watching the sad nighttime
tableau as his cop, Lieutenant Eve Dallas, and the victim are lit up by the
crime scene lights just inside the arch at Washington Square Park. The woman,
Galla Modesto, was stabbed in the stomach initially before the blade was pulled
vertically opening her up. While murder is never routine for Eve Dallas, it all
seems to be a normal crime scene.
That is until Roarke, breaks off a conversation, and
moves away into the crowd. After an interval, he comes back, and is clearly
annoyed. For good reason.
He spotted a man known as Lorcan Cobbe. A killer
that started long ago back in Dublin when Roarke and he knew each other as
boys. Lorcan Cobbe has a hate on for Roarke and has made a run at him before.
Each time he made a run at him, Roarke defeated him, and let him live.
It might have been better for all if Roarke had
killed him.
In the here and now, Lorcan Cobbe is a very well-paid
contract killer. He is very good and is never seen before the crime or
afterwards. The fact that he made sure that Roarke saw him means he killed Galla
Modesto and is going after Roarke. It also means that anyone Roarke cares about;
Dallas, Summersett, anyone else, and there are many, are also very much at
risk.
The chase is on and will lead back to Roarke’s
native Ireland as various agencies from around the world work together to
finally stop the elusive assassin.
Shadows in Death
by J.D. Robb is a fast-paced police procedural that once again highlights the
simple fact that the idea of family is not just blood based. The former street
urchin and thief now has many friends in law enforcement who will do everything
they can to stop Cobbe.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3VAnnBZ
My large print hardback reading copy came by way of
the Lochwood Branch of the Dallas Public Library System. This is the branch I
use and the one described in my short story, Whatever Happened to…?, in the Notorious
in North Texas: Metroplex Mysteries III anthology.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2024
Thursday, November 28, 2024
Beneath the Stains of Time: Inspector De Klerck and the Status in Murder (2024) by P. Dieudonné
Wednesday, November 27, 2024
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Nevermore: The Women; The Boy,; The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse; Ethan Frome
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 80 Calls for Submissions in December 2024 - Paying Markets
Bitter Tea and Mystery: A Darker Domain: Val McDermid
Monday, November 25, 2024
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Cat Pictures, Please: And Other Stories by Naomi Kritzer
Beneath the Stains of Time: Tour de Force (1955) by Christianna Brand
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 49 Writing Contests in December 2024 - No entry fees
Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: When Blood Lies by C. S. Harris
As with many other series, I have missed a few
installments of the Sebastian St. Cyr historical mystery saga by Candice
Proctor writing as C. S. Harris. Proctor also writes under the names C. S.
Graham and Steven Graham. Proctor has a doctorate in European history and she’s
produced a nonfiction work on the French Revolution in addition to some 30
fiction pieces. Her books invariably have an authentic setting with an
impressive amount of historical detail.
Sebastian St. Cyr is the son and heir to the Earl
of Hendon. After a distinguished military career he returned to England and
London and that’s where the series begins in April 1811, two months after the
Regency was formally declared. St. Cyr has fallen into the role of private
investigator, a role viewed with disdain by the upper class. His complicated
personal life has overtaken the mystery in some of the 20 titles but the later
books seem to have a better balance.
In the 17th title, When Blood Lies
(Berkley, 2022) Harris takes the action to Paris in March 1815, where the
monarchy has been re-established after Napoleon was banished to Elba. The
Bourbons have learned nothing during their exile and they returned to their
overbearing arrogant ways, reminding the general population why the Revolution
took place. St. Cyr has come to the continent now that the war is over to
search for his estranged mother, who lived in Europe for years. He finds her one
night dying of multiple injuries near the house he is renting. The stiletto
wound in her back leaves no question that the death could be an accident.
He learns that his mother was close to Napoleon’s
first wife Josephine and moved in political and diplomatic circles. He fears
she became embroiled in the lethal hotbed of conspiracy and rumors that was
Paris at the time. Napoleon was maneuvering to return to power and no one was
safe from suspicion of collaboration with the wrong side. Which side was wrong
depended very much on the individual.
Harris immerses the reader in the anxiety, fear,
and paranoia of the time and the place, when anyone could be an informer for
the king or for Napoleon. Harris’s extensive knowledge of French history is on
full display here. St. Cyr’s search for his mother’s killer is riddled with his
grief at losing her again, making his work deeply personal. His investigation
often takes a back seat to the political drama unfolding on the world stage but
it doesn’t stay there long.
Harris plots so well and her command of the
history of the time is so authoritative that her writing ability is often
overlooked. What could be a dry recital of textbook details turns into finely
wrought sentence after sentence after sentence.
This is not the place to start the series for
those new to it but anyone who has read a few of the earlier books will have no
trouble picking up the story lines here. Recommended.
·
Publisher: Berkley; First Edition (April
5, 2022)
·
Language: English
·
Hardcover: 368 pages
·
ISBN-10: 059310269X
·
ISBN-13: 978-0593102695
Amazon
Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3Zvmiil
Aubrey Nye
Hamilton ©2024
Aubrey
Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and
reads mysteries at night.
Sunday, November 24, 2024
Little Big Crimes: Melelani's Mana, by Lono Waiwai'ole
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 3 Distinctive Writing Conferences in December 2024
SleuthSayers: Don't Speak
Paula Messina Reviews: Case for Three Detectives: A Sergeant Beef Mystery by Leo Bruce
Please welcome Paula Messina back to the blog today.....
Case
for Three Detectives
By Paula Messina
Case for Three Detectives
by Leo Bruce is a delicious send up of the traditional British mystery. Mrs.
Thurston, a lovely but dimwitted woman, retires to her bedroom after a night of
entertaining guests. Mrs. Thurston screams. Her husband, the Thurston’s lawyer Williams, and Townsend, who
narrates the novel, rush to her aid, only the door is locked. After breaking
down the door, the men find Mrs. Thurston dead, her throat slashed.
Williams
immediately takes over and searches every inch of the room. The windows are
bolted. There is no conceivable way for the murderer to escape, but escape he
did. The husband, guests, and staff are stumped. Williams insists the only
explanation is something unworldly.
Rigor
mortis hasn’t set in when three
detectives, Lord Simon Pimsoll, Monsieur Amer Picon, and Monsignor Smith,
arrive like bloodhounds following a scent. These amateur detectives dazzle the
characters and readers with their brilliance. Mystery fans, especially those
who revel in the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, will immediately recognize
the lineage of the three detectives, Lord Peter Wimsey, Hercule Poirot, and
Father Brown.
Pimsoll,
Picon, and Smith are so brilliant they don’t
need to bother with evidence. Mere details would get in the way of their
superior intellects and preternatural ability to know who the killer is and why
poor Mrs. Thurston had to die. The facts they uncover include a will that
favors the staff and a stepson who stands to profit from Mrs. Thurston’s death.
No one knows who or where the stepson is. What would a mystery be without
blackmail? Voilà !
The wealthy Mrs. Thurston’s
account is overdrawn. Someone is blackmailing her because of an affair with the
chauffeur who is more interested in marrying the maid. There’s a surfeit of
reasons to kill Mrs. Thurston.
Case is the first
in a series of Sgt. Beef mysteries. From the get go, Beef says he knows who
done it. The three detectives dismiss Beef as a beer-swilling, dart-throwing
dullard who couldn’t
find his way home after a night at the pub, forget find a murderer. Bruce spins
another send up with Beef, who barely appears in the novel. What kind of series
stars a character who remains in the background for most of the book?
Parts
of Case are laugh-out-loud funny.
Bruce nails the most annoying traits of Wimsey, Poirot, and Brown. Pimsoll is
an arrogant ass. Picon is in love with himself and his brilliant mind. Msgr.
Smith rarely says anything that makes sense. Three detectives mean they provide
three solutions with three different murderers. Which one is correct?
Can
the star of the series, the dipsomaniac, honest-to-goodness, real-life
detective—well real life in terms of the novel—better the three brilliant
detectives and bag the murderer? You’ll
have to read the book to find out.
In
true Golden Age fashion, readers are unlikely to figure out who the murderer
is.
Bruce
pokes fun at Dorthy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, and G. K. Chesterton, his
contemporaries and giants of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, but he also
has his tongue firmly pressed against his cheek as he makes himself part of the
joke. After all, he’s
a mystery writer as well. The joke can be extended to all mystery writers who
manipulate the plot to satisfy their endings.
Leo
Bruce, born Rupert Croft-Cooke (1903 – 1979), was a prolific English writer who
published non-fiction, novels, short stories, screenplays and more under his
real name as well as his pseudonym. Bruce wrote a second mystery series
featuring schoolmaster Carolus Deene.
Some
readers will be put off by the lack of action. Case for Three Detectives is quite talky, but the dialogue is
hilarious. Case is great fun and
worth a read.
Associate
Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4idZ8Ev
Paula Messina ©2024
Paula Messina writes essays as well as humorous and historical fiction. “Fish Eyes” (Devil’s Snare: Best New England Crime Stories 2024) marks Donatello Laguardia’s print debut.
Saturday, November 23, 2024
Mystery Fanfare: BEYOND PARADISE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
KRL Update 11/23/2024
Up on KRL this week reviews and giveaways of 3 more food mysteries for your Thanksgiving reading-"Guilt and Ginataan" A Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery Book Five by Mia P. Manansala, "Fondue or Die" by Korina Moss, and "Pumpkin Spice Puppy" by Laurien Berenson https://kingsriverlife.com/11/23/food-mysteries-for-your-2024-thanksgiving-feast/
And a review and giveaway of "In the Blink of a Pie" by Catherine Bruns along with a recipe from Catherine perfect for your Thanksgiving Dinner! https://kingsriverlife.com/11/23/in-the-blink-of-a-pie-by-catherine-bruns/
And a review and giveaway of "A Killer Clue" by Victoria Gilbert https://kingsriverlife.com/11/23/a-killer-clue-by-victoria-gilbert/
We also have the latest Queer Mystery Coming Attractions from Matt Lubbers-Moore https://kingsriverlife.com/11/23/queer-mystery-coming-attractions-december-2024/
For those who prefer to listen to Mysteryrat's Maze Podcast directly on KRL, you can find the player here for the latest episode which features the first of our Christmas mystery short stories this year, "The Jumper" by John Floyd, read by local actor Larry Mattox https://kingsriverlife.com/11/23/new-mysteryrats-maze-podcast-featuring-the-jumper/
Up on KRL News and Reviews this week we have a review and giveaway of "A Holiday for Homicide" by Devon Delaney https://www.krlnews.com/2024/11/a-holiday-for-homicide-by-devon-delaney.html
And a review and ebook giveaway of "Death by Jelly Beans" by Susie Black https://www.krlnews.com/2024/11/death-by-jelly-beans-by-susie-black.html
And a review and giveaway of "Sgt. Ford's Widow" by Paul A. Barra https://www.krlnews.com/2024/11/sgt-fords-widow-by-paul-barra.html
Happy reading,
Lorie
Bitter Tea and Mystery: Books Read in September and October 2024
Beneath the Stains of Time: Locked and Loaded, Part 5: A Selection of Short Impossible Crime and Locked Room Mystery Stories
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Good Lookin’ Cookin’: A Year of Meals by Dolly Parton and Rachel Parton George
Scott's Take: Superman: House of Brainaic by Joshua Williamson, Illustrator Rafael Blanco
Superman: House of Brainaic
by Joshua Williamson, illustrated by Rafael Blanco, is a big Superman crossover
event. Brainaic has returned to Metropolis bringing with him an army of Aliens.
He is seeking to abduct everyone with powers in the city. It is up to the
Superman family to stop him.
Soon the fight against Brainaic moves to outer
space. To help combat the threat, Superman must recruit one of his long-term
enemies to help stop him, Lobo, the alien biker outlaw mercenary. But can
Superman really trust Lobo to help him stop Brainaic?
This is action packed read with great art. This is a
pretty good standalone Superman event that should have big ramifications for
the rest of the universe. It was nice to see Supergirl play a decent role in
the series since she arguably has stronger ties as an enemy to Brainaic than
Superman.
There are some tie ins collected in the read and
came across to me as the weakest parts. Not because they were not well written.
They are, but they throw off the read. For example, going from about to start a
big fight, then the tie in focusing on the mayor race as Perry (former editor
of the Daily Planet) is running for Mayor trying to stop his opponent who is
running on anti-alien platform from being elected, then back to the big fight
throws the read completely off for this reader.
Superman: House of Brainaic is a fun Superman event featuring just the Superman heroes reacting to the threat. Lex Luthor and Superman continue their team up. Superman in this latest book has surrounded himself with his enemies Lex, Lobo, Livewire, Parasite, and Mercy Graves. Can he really trust any of them? It will be interesting to see how long these alliances can last.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3Z0k1tW
My reading copy came by way of the Hoopla App through the Dallas Public Library System.
Scott A. Tipple ©2024
Thursday, November 21, 2024
Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Jungle Red Writers: I Am Already Over AI
SleuthSayers: Double Event
Bitter Tea and Mystery: Short Story Wednesday: Deadly Anniversaries
Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: THE RIDDLE OF THE MARBLE BLADE
Short Story Wednesday Review: Resort to Murder: Thirteen More Tales by Minnesota's Premier Writers Compiled and Edited by the Minnesota Crime Wave
From
the archive…
Awhile
back, I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing the anthology The
Silence of the Loons. Put out by the "Minnesota Crime
Wave" (Ellen Hart, Carl Brookins and William Kent Krueger) the anthology
was a good one and I enjoyed it immensely. So, Carl Brookins sent me a review
copy of their latest anthology quite some time ago. I was thrilled and added it
to mount TBR which promptly surrounded it, burped in satisfaction, and
continued to grow. I'm officially over 300 books now at last count and woefully
behind in my reading. Fortunately, Texas is a long away from Minnesota, so I
should be relatively safe.
After
a brief introduction by Lorna Landvik on why Minnesota produces so many good
mystery writers, the book delves into the tales. There are 13 tales by 13
writers which include the three of the "Minnesota Crime Wave" and
many more authors. Each tale is set at a fictional resort in Minnesota and each
one is complex and enjoyable with no depictions of graphic violence, gore or
sex. Some of the tales can be described more fully than others simply because
to comment on some of them would blow the read. Having read many reviews that
told way too much, I always lean towards being very cautious in my reviews so
the tales will be explained as much as possible or not as the case may be.
William
Kent Krueger kicks off the killing in his "Hills Like White Rabbits."
“Cooper knew they planned to kill him. Exactly how was the part that was still
a mystery." (Page 2)
"The
Locked Fish–cleaning House Mystery" by Jess Lourey is next. While the
title may not be inspired, this tale about an elderly woman determined to party
and solve a murder at the same time is.
Followed
by "14-A" written by Ellen Hart that takes a look at the pain of love
and how relationships evolve or de-evolve over time. The little things begin to
burrow under the skin and an outside threat can make everything explode.
The
age old theme of cheating comes to light in the tale of "Miss
Behavin'" by David Housewright. A favorite author of mine whose most
recent novel is "Dead Boyfriends" creates here a story a story full
of misdirection and complications.
"Out
of the Jacuzzi, Into the Sauna" by Scott Pearson marks the author's first
published mystery story despite a long and impressive publishing history in
various areas. Kate and Bill, a married couple, have known things at Great
Lakes Lodges were wrong from the moment they called to confirm their check in.
They didn't know that while they could check in, they easily might never check
out.
Pat
Dennis follows with a tale titled "Mother's Day." Carl has had enough
of dear old mom and he has a plan.
If
you haven't read Carl Brookins before you have really missed out. "Bloody
Halls" was/is an excellent book as is the often laugh out loud "The
Case of the Greedy Lawyers" featuring private investigator Sean no middle
initial Sean always present in his red sneakers. Sean also makes an appearance
here in the tale titled "Fish Story." Sean isn't much happy to be in
a vacation resort in northern Minnesota. He had a more exotic climate in mind
for vacation and if that isn't enough, he certainly didn't want to be dragged
in to a local murder case.
While
many of the stories are told from the viewpoint of the guests, Joel Arnold took
a different angle. In "Leave No Wake" he weaves a tale told from the
view point of one of the elderly owners of a resort who soon has a dead body to
deal with along with a business to run. Along the way, Mr. Varney is reminded
just how quickly time passes under business pressure. This very good story does
feature a character with a penchant for graphic language that is out of tone
with the rest of the anthology.
"The
Moose Whisperer" by Deborah Woodworth features characters who aren't
sleeping as well as they should be or need to. Police Chief Jens Johansson is
one of the nocturnal wanderers and he saw something odd in the middle of the
night while on vacation at Glass Lake. Something that he will need to follow on
and something that is just a small piece of a bigger deal.
Barbara
DaCosta is next with her disturbing story "Cabin 6". This is her
first story and it is a good one. A story that really can't be explained at all
without ruining it for other readers. So, I won't.
Like
the "Bird of Prey" the human known as the "Falcon" goes
after his next kill. In this tale written by Michael Allan Mallory, some things
are obvious while many others are not.
"The
Body at Dust Bowl Lake" is exactly that and much more. History plays the
main role in this interesting tale written by Moira F. Harris.
Judith
Yates-Borger concludes the anthology well with her tale "Hunter's
Lodge." The past is a huge part of the tale as well and in this case the
past must be honored and it will be. Like others in this anthology, this also
marks her first foray into the field of mystery writing after an extensive and
award winning journalist career.
Unlike
many anthologies that place the interesting author biographical information at
the back of the book, this anthology does the right thing and places it at the
beginning of each tale. Also, pictures of the authors are included. Therefore,
the book is well designed and places the picture of the author and bio on the
left page with the tale written by the author on the right. By such format, one
gets a feel for the author before delving into the tale.
Like the anthology The Silence of the Loons, the tales in Resort to Murder: Thirteen More Tales by Minnesota's Premier Writers feature intriguing characters from a variety of viewpoints and walks of life. Some have seen this collection as darker in tone, but, I would not agree. Graphic descriptions are not present here with the focus being on the characters and the tales they tell. Each tale, well told, often is filled with misdirection while touching on some of the age old concepts of deceit, family honor, envy and others that ultimately lead to murder. Murder, well told, and another good read compiled and edited by the members of the "Minnesota Crime Wave."
Amazon
Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4hYZI90
As
noted in the review, author Carl Brookins sent it to me long ago when dragons
still flew overhead and magic ruled the land.
Kevin
R. Tipple © 2008, 2024
Tuesday, November 19, 2024
Monday, November 18, 2024
Mystery Fanfare: THANKSGIVING MYSTERIES // THANKSGIVING CRIME FICTION
Mystery Fanfare: CHRISTMAS SPECIAL & Season 3: The Chelsea Detective
Beneath the Stains of Time: And Then There Were Nyan (2024) by A.Z. Ruin
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg
Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: Crimes Against Nature, Editor Robert Lopresti
With an
unprecedented hurricane in the Appalachian Mountains that no one could have expected
and wildfires in the West and rampant deforestation in many states, no one can
say that the environment and the damage caused by humans does not affect our
lives. Robert Lopresti has collected and edited a set of 15 short stories all
about human impact on nature. Sometimes thoughtless, sometimes deliberate, the impact
of the destruction is the same.
The authors in
Crimes Against Nature (Down & Out Books, 2024) are well known and
recognized for their skill in crime fiction, which shows to great advantage in
this assortment of mayhem. Instead of offenses against people, the misdeeds here
are against the earth. Michael Bracken, Susan Breen, Sarah M. Chen, Barb
Goffman, Karen Harrington, Janice Law, R.T. Lawton, Robert Lopresti, Jon
McGoran, Josh Pachter, Gary Phillips, S.J. Rozan, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Mark
Stevens, and David Heska Wanbli Weiden have each contributed a story. They also
have selected a conservation nonprofit to receive half of the royalties. Their
chosen charity is described at the end of each story; I was glad to learn about
a few groups unfamiliar to me.
The stories
are as varied as the charities that will benefit from them. Some of the
protagonists use their native guile to defend the environment, others are not
above committing a felony for the same reason. One protagonist continued to
battle for the earth’s welfare beyond the grave.
I am charmed
by the number of devious old ladies here. In Chin Yong-Yun Plants a Seed,
a grandmother saves her grandchildren’s school plot of carefully selected
native plants and arranges for a nearby factory to be brought to account for
its illegal emissions in one fell swoop. We have all had dreadful neighbors but
Emily Kitchener takes drastic steps to deal with those who destroy an
established native species garden in Heavenly Bamboo. Annabelle addresses
the problem of the marijuana-smoking neighbors who create a second-hand smoke
hazard for the nearby residents, including a cat, in Gone to Pot. A
committed recycler goes to great effort to see that her apartment complex
complies with the reprocessing sorting rules in The Trouble with Saving the
World.
Then there
are the destructive tourists who in their desire to see nature in its pristine
state destroy it as they explore. Eruptions discusses a tour group
scaling an active volcano in defiance of the police in beautiful Costa Rica,
where the fragile habitat is being wrecked by excessive tourism. A social media
darling, an influencer who films everything he does, is the subject of The
Gift. This particular influencer trespasses on private beaches and encourages
his followers to do the same, leaving a tsunami of trash as they go. A man bent
on revenge goes after several media influencers who damage delicate ecosystems
and invade protected reserves in Bad Influence.
Virgil
Wounded Horse of the acclaimed novel Winter Counts is still looking out
for the people on the Rose Bud reservation in Wind Spirits. When an
activist comes in, agitating for trouble over the wind turbines set up on the land,
Virgil steps in.
The Smart One focuses on
the worst possible consequences of careless disposal of toxic materials. Scrap
Heap is set in a metals recycling plant that ignored federal regulations
for decades; the protagonist here is the most original I have seen in a long
time. Illegal dumping of used oil is the environmental crime in Todd’s Fault,
Todd is a dog for anyone who needs a dog in their reading, and Stinkwater
Lake addresses the dangers of emptied oil wells left unremediated.
Firestorm describes an
enterprising felon’s creation of a storage unit to preserve artwork and other
valuables from the wildfires that are endemic in the West these days.
An earnest
do-gooder decides to single-handedly reduce the number of meth labs polluting
the groundwater, wells, and rivers in Lenny and the Lab. This is the
funniest entry in the book.
Body Parts
and Bathtub Rings
deals with the drought in the Southwest and the people who refuse to accept that
the need to conserve water is past urgent.
This is a
fascinating collection of stories with as diverse a set of protagonists and
plots as I can remember seeing. The annual major gift-giving season is upon us
and this book would be welcomed by any crime fiction reader who also champions
ecological causes. I found it informative and entertaining, and I expect they
would too. Recommended.
·
Publisher: Down & Out Books (October
6, 2024)
·
Language: English
·
Paperback: 294 pages
·
ISBN-10: 1643963805
·
ISBN-13: 978-1643963808
Amazon Associate
Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4i2Ud9g
Aubrey Nye Hamilton
©2024
Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.
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